Officials with Shelby County DevelopSource have announced three finalists for the 2012 Shelby County Business Plan Competition. The competition began in May and applicants had until July 20^th to submit an application. This was the 2^nd year the DevelopSource offered the business plan competition. Bob Broomfield, co-director of Shelby County DevelopSource says the businesses will compete on Thursday.  According to Broomfield “This Thursday at noon at the Therkildsen Center will be the 2^nd business plan competition. The presentations start at 1 o’clock.”

A panel of 4 judges will be on hand to judge the 3 business plans. The winning business will receive $30,000. Broomfield says “I See Products from Shelby will present and that’s a new manufacturing devices to assist ice cream shops. At 1:30pm Leah Marie Photography down on the square, a new business starting up will be presenting. And then at 2 o’clock Panama Diesel will present their plan to expand their retail parts operation.”

The winner will be announced after the judges deliberate. Shelby County DevelopSource is also looking to fill their position as director. Bob and M.J. Broomfield are stepping down as co-directors at the end of October. Broomfield says there has been interest in the job already.  Broomfield says “We are getting a few applicants already. It’s online and so forth. We are hoping to get somebody that is eager to take on the task.”

You can find more information online at www.developsource.com or contact the Shelby County DevelopSource at 712-755-3569.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A company in western Iowa that makes corn-based products for cooking has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, citing high grain prices and transportation cost. Dave Hoffman of the Plymouth Oil Company says the board felt this was the best move to pay off their debts. He says they have put together a plan to make the company profitable and have changed the management. Hoffman says the problems are due in part to high grain prices, but more so due to the high cost of transportation. Hoffman says Plymouth Oil had hoped to obtain corn germ from their neighbors next door, Plymouth Energy, but those plans fell through. The company had to truck in the corn germ from Jefferson, Wisconsin to its plant near Merrill, which ended up being more expensive.

Hoffman says it is 380 miles or about 42-dollars a ton to truck in the material they need. “We makes it very tough for us to succeed,” Hoffman says. He says they are trying to get some new quotes from suppliers to cut the costs. Hoffman says the plan is to keep operating, and to keep paying bills. The plant started operations in February of 2010. It specializes in producing food grade products from corn, such as corn oil for cooking purposes. The plant employes 25 to 30 people.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have a light agenda for their meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic. The only action item on the agenda is establishing an hourly rate of pay and/or daily rate, for those township trustees who are engaged in official township business. That includes the rate of pay for when the trustees act as fence viewers. The Board of Supervisors meeting begins at 9-a.m.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Glenwood man was arrested this (Tuesday) morning, on a theft charge. 25-year old Miles Ryan Pein was taken into custody at around 8:20-a.m., for Theft in the 2nd degree. Pein was being held in the Mills County Jail on $5,000 bond.

Authorities also reported 38-year old Jason Gerriets, of Glenwood, was injured during a motorcycle accident Friday morning. Gerriets was traveling north on 221st Street at around 7-a.m., Friday, when he drove off the edge of the road as he was approaching a curve. His 2009 Kawasaki ended up in a ditch on its side. Gerriets was transported by Glenwood Rescue to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, for treatment of his injuries.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly session Wednesday morning, in their boardroom at the courthouse, in Greenfield. During the session, which begins at 9-a.m., the Board will discuss decorations on the square, with Carol Miller. They’ll also: Hear from V-A Administrator Rick Schaecher, with regard to a VA Commission appointment, and Mike Ladd, with regard to a courtyard use permit application; act on an agreement with the Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG), for the housing trust fund; and discuss and/or act on window contracts, a liquor license, and EMS Grant application, and a resolution pertaining to participation in the Mental Health Regionalization plan.

At 10-a.m., the Board will hear from County Engineer Nick Kaufmann, with regard to: A Mid-American Road Use agreement for the Morning Light Wind Farm; Valuation of Shared pick-up of Cass and Adair Counties; and a Collective Bargaining agreement, in addition to his regular maintenance and activities’ report.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Sheriff’s officials in Audubon County report one person was transported to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital following a crash Monday evening between a car and a semi at the intersection of Highway 71 and Littlefield Drive. 24-year old Brittney Ann Henriksen, of Audubon was taken to the hospital by Exira Fire and Rescue, after she ran a stop sign at the intersection at around 4:25-p.m., and hit the side of a trailer being pulled by a 2007 Kenworth semi. The driver of the semi, 38-year old Brent Curtis Madsen, of Elk Horn, was not injured. Damage from the crash amounted to $7,000. The accident remains under investigation.

(updated 11:30-a.m.) — The Iowa Transportation Commission today (Tuesday) approved more than $3.1 million in funding to support 45 public transit projects included in the fiscal year (FY) 2013 Transit Program. The projects are funded under the state Public Transit Infrastructure Grant Fund, federal Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program, and federal New Freedom program.

The New Freedom federal formula grant program seeks to reduce barriers to transportation services and expand the transportation mobility options available to people with disabilities, beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Transit agencies in larger communities receive a direct allocation of funding from FTA. The Commission is responsible for programming projects in smaller communities. Under the NF grants, in Region 13, the Atlantic Voucher program received $7,027,  and $4,459 for expansion of the Harlan taxi service hours.

And, under the JARC Program for Region 13 (based in Atlantic), the Commission approved a $4,334 request for the Red Oak Taxi service, $5,335 for CDS Global, Incorporated’s vanpool service, and $27,047 for Menard’s commuter service.

A listing of the individual projects and funding amounts is available www.iowadot.gov/transit/archive_files/COFY13_TransitProgramattachmentaugust2012.pdf.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Transportation Commission today (Tuesday) approved, and the director of the Iowa Department of Transportation subsequently adopted, an emergency administrative rule that increases the administrative driving privilege sanctions for illegally passing a stopped school bus. The rule takes effect Wednesday, Aug. 15, allowing it to be in effect at the start of the 2012-13 school year.

Earlier this year, Governor Branstad signed into law Senate File 2218, the Keep Aware Driving – Youth Need School Safety Act (commonly known as Kadyn’s Law), that increased the criminal penalties for passing a stopped school bus and directed the Iowa DOT to enact rules that make illegally passing a stopped school bus a serious moving violation that triggers increasing periods of suspension for first, second and subsequent offenses. The new rule provides that a person’s Iowa driving privilege will be suspended 30 days for a first conviction, 90 days for a second conviction, and 180 days for a third or subsequent conviction.

In addition, fines for a first offense range from $250-to $675, and/or 30-days in jail. A second offense comes with fines ranging from $315-to $1,875, along with a possible prison sentence of up to one-year. The same penalties are possible for a third or subsequent offense, in addition to the 180-day license suspension.

Any offense causing serious injury to another person may also cause the person responsible to face a fine of $500. Any offense causing the death of another person while passing a school bus, will result in a $1,000 fine and suspension of your license for up to 180-days. Officials say it’s important to remember, that offenses which cause serious injury or death associated with the passing of a school bus, such as OWI, reckless driving, eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement vehicle, are Class-B felonies, which can carry fines of up to $10,000, a mandatory restitution of $150,000, and a mandatory prison term of 25-years. Your license will also be suspended for six-years.

Kim Snook, director of the Iowa DOT’s Office of Driver Services, said, “We hope that these increased penalties and sanctions will make driver’s think twice before foolishly choosing to pass a stopped school bus. More than thinking about their own penalty, however, we hope they will remember and recognize that passing a stopped school bus threatens the life of a child.”